Available theories lead to different predictions concerning determinants of perceived environmental quality. The contribution of age as it relates to environmental reality (alpha press), environmental perceptions (beta press), and the reactions between actuality and perception is not well understood. Data are available on a large representative sample of persons aged 18 and over which include objective physical and suprapersonal environments as well as person descriptors and perception of environmental qualities. Analysis of beta press items has produced some fifteen factors with alpha reliabilities mostly of .80 and above. These factors developed on an exploratory sample will be subjected to a higher-order analysis and the resulting scales cross-validated on the confirmatory sample. After developing scales on the alpha press items, we will test the following hypothesis on both the exploratory and confirmatory samples; 1. Alpha press will have a smaller relationship to beta press among the old than among the young. 2. Characteristics of respondents will play a large role in environmental evaluations by the old than the young when alpha press is controlled for. 3. Positive response bias is more strongly related to age-related deprivations or to lower status than to years since birth.